Narrative Catharsis and Contained Subversion: A Comparative Study of Power and Ideological Anxiety in the Tragedies of Ferdowsi and Shakespeare

This article presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of two literary giants from distinct cultural and historical milieus: Ferdowsi, the renowned Persian poet of the ۱۰th and early ۱۱th centuries, and William Shakespeare, the celebrated English playwright of the European Renaissance. Despite the five-century gap and vast geographical distance separating these authors, their works exhibit remarkable parallels in their exploration of power dynamics, tragic heroism, and ideological anxieties. Through a focused examination of key tragedies—Ferdowsi's "Zahhak," "Fereydoun and His Sons," and "Siavash" alongside Shakespeare's Macbeth, King Lear, and Othello—this study reveals how both writers interrogated the psychology of governance and the defense mechanisms of monarchical systems. The article argues that their tragic works function not merely as entertainment but as sophisticated narrative devices that simultaneously expose and contain subversive forces within their respective power structures, offering trans-cultural insights into the universal human condition.

Keywords:

Shakespeare , Ferdowsi , Tragedies , Comparative study